Director of Structural Steel Division

Job Description

Job Description

The Director of the Structural Steel Division is responsible for the overall leadership, strategic direction, financial performance, and operational success of PEC's Structural Steel Division. This position provides oversight of all division functions, including estimating, project management, field operations, quality assurance/quality control, fabrication coordination, and personnel development.

The Director is accountable for achieving annual sales and profitability goals while ensuring projects are executed safely, on schedule, within budget, and to PEC's quality standards. This role is expected to build a high-performing team, drive operational excellence, and aggressively pursue profitable growth by increasing sales while maintaining targeted gross margins.

This position serves as the leader of the Structural Steel Division and is ultimately responsible for the division's financial performance, culture, and long-term success.

Essential Responsibilities

Leadership & Department Management

• Lead all aspects of the Structural Steel Division.
• Direct and manage Project Managers, Estimators, Superintendents, QA/QC personnel, and other division staff.
• Establish departmental goals, KPIs, and accountability measures.
• Develop and implement strategic plans to grow the division.
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular department meetings and performance reviews.
• Recruit, mentor, develop, and retain top talent.
• Handle employee coaching, disciplinary actions, performance improvement plans, and termination decisions in coordination with Human Resources.
• Build succession plans for key leadership positions.

Financial & Profit/Loss Accountability

• Own and manage the division's Profit & Loss Statement.
• Achieve or exceed the annual sales goal
• Drive profitable revenue growth while maintaining established target gross margins.
• Monitor backlog, forecasting, labor productivity, and departmental financial health.
• Review monthly financial statements and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Develop annual budgets and forecasts.
• Manage departmental overhead and operating expenses.
• Ensure accurate project forecasting throughout each project's lifecycle.
• Hold Project Managers accountable for financial performance on every project.

Sales & Business Development

Working alongside the Vice President of Sales, the Director will aggressively pursue profitable growth opportunities.

Responsibilities include:

• Make business development and sales growth a top priority.
• Develop strategies to consistently increase division revenue.
• Build and maintain strong customer relationships.
• Participate in major customer meetings and presentations.
• Identify new markets and growth opportunities.
• Support estimating efforts on strategic projects.
• Work with executive leadership on sales forecasting.
• Ensure work is pursued at acceptable risk levels and target margins.

Success in this role requires growing sales while protecting profitability—not simply increasing revenue.

Estimating & Preconstruction

• Oversee all estimating activities.
• Review major bids before submission.
• Ensure estimating practices remain accurate, competitive, and profitable.
• Verify labor productivity assumptions.
• Ensure bid packages properly account for project risk.
• Review contracts prior to execution.
• Assist with negotiating project terms and conditions.

Project Management Oversight

Provide leadership and oversight for all Project Managers by ensuring they understand and consistently execute:

• Gross Margin management
• Budget development
• Cost forecasting
• Contract administration
• Change order management
• Scheduling
• Procurement
• Risk management
• Customer communication
• Closeout procedures
• Financial reporting

Review projects regularly to ensure:

• Budget compliance
• Schedule adherence
• Profitability
• Quality
• Customer satisfaction

Fabrication & Operations

Work closely with the Shop Manager to maximize fabrication efficiency and production capacity.

Responsibilities include:

• Coordinate fabrication schedules with project demands.
• Improve utilization of shop manpower and equipment.
• Ensure fabrication supports field installation schedules.
• Remove bottlenecks affecting productivity.
• Improve communication between shop and field operations.
• Identify opportunities for automation and process improvements.

Training & Development

Develop a culture focused on continuous learning.

Responsible for training Project Managers and leadership staff in:

• Gross Margin management
• Estimating
• Bidding strategy
• Contracts
• Financial forecasting
• Project budgeting
• Risk management
• Leadership development
• Customer service
• PEC operating procedures

Create standardized processes, playbooks, and best practices for the division.

Quality & Safety

• Ensure all work meets PEC quality standards.
• Oversee QA/QC personnel and quality initiatives.
• Promote continuous improvement in fabrication and installation quality.
• Partner with Safety leadership to maintain an outstanding safety culture.
• Ensure OSHA compliance and adherence to all company safety policies.

Performance Expectations

The Director will be evaluated on measurable business outcomes, including:

• Achievement of targeted gross margins
• Division profitability
• P&L performance
• Gross Margin improvement
• Backlog growth
• Successful project execution
• Customer satisfaction
• Safety performance
• Employee development and retention
• Schedule performance
• Fabrication efficiency
• Estimating accuracy
• Forecast accuracy
• Reduction of rework and warranty costs

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in structural steel, miscellaneous metals, or industrial construction.
• Minimum 5 years managing Project Managers and department leadership.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Structural steel fabrication
  • Industrial construction
  • Project Management
  • Estimating
  • Contracts
  • Financial reporting
  • Cost controls
  • Scheduling
• Demonstrated experience managing departmental P&L.
• Proven success leading teams responsible for multi-million-dollar construction portfolios.
• Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and organizational skills.

Compensation

This position will receive a competitive executive compensation package that is heavily performance-based .

A significant portion of total compensation will be tied to the overall financial success of the Structural Steel Division, including:

• Achievement of annual sales objectives
• Division profitability
• Gross margin performance
• P&L results
• Operational efficiency
• Achievement of strategic growth goals

The expectation for this role is to grow the Structural Steel Division by increasing profitable sales while maintaining or improving target margins, delivering exceptional quality, and developing a high-performing team.

A leader in this role is expected to think and operate like a business owner—making decisions that create sustainable growth, maximize profitability, and position the Structural Steel Division for long-term success.